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Thursday, October 3, 2013

British highway to become internet-connected 'network of sensors' over 50-mile stretch

In a team-up between the UK's Department of Transport, BT and
Cambridge start-up Neul, the A14 (which connects Felixstowe to
Birmingham) will be transformed into the country's first
internet-connected road, with the aim of preparing the country for
future tech from wireless toll chargers to automated cars. The smart
road will include a network of sensors across a 50-mile segment, with
data transmission delivered over white space. Ofcom approved the project yesterday, alongside its plans for the rest of the spectrum space.
According to the regulator, "sensors in cars and on the roads monitor
the build-up of congestions and wirelessly send this information to a
central traffic control system, which automatically imposes variable
speed limits that smooth the flow of traffic," Ofcom said. "This system
could also communicate directly with cars, directing them along diverted
routes to avoid the congestion and even managing their speed."

Initial plans for the A14 aren't focused on these borderline zealous
goals just yet. Instead, the project aims to gather information on the
cars that use the A14, before focusing on heavy goods vehicles, feeding
back to a database that the government's Department for Transport will
be able to access. As The Guardian notes,
the project would offer a cheaper method for data connectivity and
gathering traffic information compared to the mobile network techniques
used by companies like TomTom. Instead of connecting to pricey mobile
masts, the project will tap into small base stations attached to street
lamps or BT exchanges, many of which already exist along the hectic
A-road.